Shelach

Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann

Horses and Ladders

The horse is readied for the day of battle - but
salvation is to Hashem. (Mishlei/Proverbs
21:31)

Rabbeinu Bachaya, author of Chovos HaLevavos, begins his
commentary on the parsha each week with a verse from the
Nevi'im/Kesuvim (Prophets/Writings), followed by a discourse relating
that verse to the weekly Torah reading. He begins Parshas Shelach
with the above pasuk. There is nothing wrong per se, he explains,
with the concept of sending spies to reveal the most strategically
viable way to enter a foreign and hostile land. To the contrary, it's
expected of us.

Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) in the above passage makes it
clear that we are obligated to do everything within our means to
assure success in whatever we endeavor to accomplish. When you
go to war - prepare the best horses, chariots and armour. Heavenly
salvation, even miracles, he explains, come into play only after we
ourselves have done as much as we possibly could.

This is why the Almighty told Noach to build himself an ark. Surely
had the will of Hashem so dictated, Noach and his family could
survived the Mabul (Flood) without any Ark at all. Yet although
ultimately Noach's salvation was completely dependent on Hashem,
this did not prevent Hashem from giving Noach very detailed
instructions as to the construction of the Ark; its specific dimensions,
of such and such a type of wood, with a certain number of
compartments... Noach had to do as much as he could on his own.

One who relies on faith, but fails to take the appropriate precautions,
is setting himself up for failure. The ill man must research the source
of his sickness, and try to implement lifestyle-changes and medicinal
cures, all the while remaining aware that his ultimate salvation is
completely dependent on Hashem. Hashem may or may not choose
to bring it about through the steps the individual has taken.

If fault is to be found in the Meraglim/Spies, it is not with the steps
they took, but with the fact that they came to rely solely on their own
preparations and tactics, to the extent that they lost faith in Hashem's
promise due to what they had seen. Indeed, before entering Eretz
Yisrael, Yehoshua too sent out spies. If the sending of spies is
inherently wrong - if it expresses a lack of sufficient faith in Hashem's
word - then how could Yehoshua have fallen prey to the same error
made 39 years previously? And why, indeed, was he not punished for
his spies? The fault, evidently, was not in the process, but in its
implementation.

"Not in the strength of the horse does He desire; nor in the legs of
man does He favour. (Tehillim/Psalms 147)" G-d is unimpressed with
great strength. "A king is not saved by a great army; nor is a hero
rescued by great strength. A mockery is the horse for salvation;
despite its great strength, it provides no escape. (Tehillim 33)" After
one has done all that he can, he must cast his faith completely upon
Hashem. The Meraglim got so caught up in their strategies, that they
completely forgot they had been assured victory by Hashem Himself!

The task before us is not a simple one; it is a delicate and sensitive
balance we are asked to maintain: If we do not take the necessary
steps to ensure our physical/material well being, we will be taken to
task for relying on miracles. If, on the other hand, we count on the
steps we have taken, forgetting that our ultimate salvation lies in
Hashem's hands, we will also be subject to criticism.

I heard from a friend that this may be the meaning of a strange
Rashi. Kalev, one of the two "good" Spies [the other was Yehoshua],
countered his counterparts with the words, "Alo na'aleh, We will
surely go up! (13:30)" Rashi comments, "Even were [Moshe and
Aaron] to tell us to take ladders and ascend to the very heavens, we
would surely succeed!" Why bother with ladders? Why doesn't Rashi
simply say that if Moshe and Aaron were to tell us to ascend to the
heavens, even then we would succeed? Perhaps Rashi means to
illustrate just this point: We are obligated to function, to the best of
our capabilities, through normal means. To go up, one takes a
ladder. With his ladder, if Hashem so desires, he can ascend to the
very heavens. Although the ladder is of course completely unequipped
for such ascents, still it must be there.

At the same time, we must also be careful not to err in the opposite
direction. There are times when our laziness and indolence might get
the better of us by disguising itself as faith and emunah. Instead of
getting up and taking the steps necessary for success, we utter a
silent prayer, and hope that everything will be alright. This too is
wrong. While it is true that success and failure emanate from
Hashem, one must do everything one can to make sure he is on the
right path. If one has a child who his not succeeding in his/her
studies, it is commendable to take out one's Tehillim and say a few
chapters, but it's not enough. One must go to the experts, and do
everything one possibly can. The same is true in business and
commerce. To throw one's savings into the first investment that
comes one's way in the blind faith "that if Hashem means me to
succeed, then I will succeed no matter what I do," is to set oneself up
for failure. (And to hope our characters will grow and blossom without
taking the time to learn mussar (ethics) and make a daily cheshbon
ha-nefesh (self-reckoning) is wishful thinking!)

Such is the way of the world. We must set up the ladder. We must
climb it as far as it takes us. And then we must hold on tight,
because Hashem will be taking care of the rest of the way.